Final answer:
As winter transitions to summer, the shadow on the sundial will decrease due to longer daylight hours and a higher Sun path, leading to a shorter shadow at noon.
Step-by-step explanation:
The amount of time the shadow on the sundial will change as the seasons transition from winter to summer. The key factor here is the apparent path of the Sun across the sky, which is longer in the summer and shorter in the winter. Hence, in summer, there are more hours of daylight, and the Sun is higher in the sky, leading to a shorter shadow on the sundial at noon. As winter changes to summer, the shadow length at midday decreases because the Sun's altitude at noon increases. Therefore, the answer to the student's question is Option 2: The shadow will decrease as winter changes to summer, which corresponds with longer daylight hours and a higher Sun path.
It's important to note that other factors like daylight saving time and geographical longitude can also influence the reading of a sundial compared to clock time, but these do not affect the reason behind the seasonal change in shadow length on the sundial.